Photographer Marta Huguet (who is also the owner of La Peliculera, a camera store in Madrid specialized in all your analog needs) shot a beautiful series with Kolor film with her model Mar de Valle. We interviewed her in 2016.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to be a photographer?
Defining myself is always a bit conflictive because I’m constantly struggling with who I am and where I want to move forward to. I live in Madrid, where I studied architecture and where I realized it wasn´t my true passion. I decided I wanted to improve my storytelling skills in film photography and start from scratch. After all the years and effort I put into it, it was a hard twist to give but I am lucky enough to be surrounded by the most supportive family and friends. Photography, as I’m afraid it happened to many other people out there, was the exit I needed for my brain to stop consuming me after a hard break up. Sounds cheesy and stereotypical but film photography was the challenge I needed, a beautiful mix between effort and feelings. But I am far from being a photographer, I’m just passionate about it and excited to learn how to tell through my pictures what I feel I need to say.
Do you professionally work as a photographer?
No, I don’t. I am currently working in two projects related to this world that excite me equally. I created a magazine with some friends years ago called Whattaroll because we wanted to open another window to showcase film photographers’ work. Besides this, I started to work some months ago in a Film Photography shop called CaprilePhoto, where I get to meet other photographers, organize workshops and soon I will learn old techniques such as collodion portraiture or cyanotype. Exciting days ahead!
Why do you like to take analog pictures? Do you shoot digital as well?
Film photography is just the way I like to approach to sharing how I see things. It makes me focus, but at the same time allows me to connect with the person I’m shooting with. I love the process it involves. From choosing the film and camera, to the music you play in the background when you’re working. Film allows me to see and talk to the person I have in front, they tell way better stories than screens. I respect digital photography and I think it’s a powerful tool, I just don´t believe it’s the one that’ll make me grow.
Do you have a favorite subject to photograph? If so, why?
Portraiture is the kind of photography that I enjoy the most, both looking at it and shooting it myself. The sort of stories the images evoque are very personal to me. I’ve always loved reading and there’s nothing that excites me more than a good story. Either it’s told on a cinema screen, a magazine or a photography, I’m ready to let myself go and feel it. Which leads me to vulnerability and the way I face my images and my attitude towards art. Being unarmed, to me, means being open to absorb and connect. To show what worries you about yourself and others. And to be proud of the mistakes you know you’ll make but will help you forge you into what you are. So far, I have only been able to create with women, because I connect with them in many levels. I see in them qualities I admire and wish I had myself, so, to me, it’s a kind of homage and a possibility of learning from them.
What’s your favorite analog camera?
I’m really bad at geeking about technical stuff haha. I own several cameras and each of them give me something others can´t. At the moment, the Hasselblad is the camera that has given me the chance to work with more consistency, so I’d say it’s one of my favorites. I also worked with a Pentax 67 once before it broke (I have the worst luck with cameras, many of them arrive broken or fail in less than a year) and it was b e a u t i f u l. I enjoyed every frame and I took. By the way guys, what about 120 Revolog films? I’d love to use them in medium format! (**This is definitely up on top of our long term projects to do list!**)
Do you have a favorite revolog film?
Unfortunately I have only tried one, Revolog Kolor. I’m fascinated about the atmosphere it helps me create. It sets the mood and gives me the perfect canvas to share a kind of story that without it would be extremely hard to recreate without a strong postproduction work (which I never do)I have seen 600nm and 460nm examples and I would love to test them someday. What I love about your film is the strong character they have. Rather than being a problem, I think you need to find out how this will help you empower the scenery.
Any advice for other photographers?
I can only speak from what’s worked for me so far, and that’s questioning everything I do. Why is this making me feel and that other image is not? How can I tell what I want to be expressed? Am I connecting with the person I’m shooting with? What am I afraid to try and why?
Do you have any future projects you’d like to talk about?
As I mentioned above, I’m about to learn how to work with wet plates and I am really excited to see what I can do with it. I recently visited an exhibition about Julia Margaret Cameron and I am still impressed of the strength she was able to portray in her photographs. The day I saw it, I came home and immediately started to think of how that technique brought alive aspects of photography I was not aware of before. It was a slap in my face, and at this very moment, I want to see if I’m able to answer all the questions it opened.
Following Marta’s beautiful instragram account or her amazing tumblr will definitely bring you a great dose of inspiration!
